Monrovia — Another cargo vessel, MV AlMI, reportedly operated by a firm in Irael is said to have been taken away by unknown from the pier of the Freeport of Monrovia on Bushrod Island. Repoprts say the incident occurred early yesterday amidst tight UNMIL and Sea Port Police Joint Security operations.

The disappearance of MV AIMI comes barely one week after MV Tahoma went missing mysteriously. To date, the whereabouts of MV Tahoma Reefer, which is flying flag of St. Vincent is unknown.

In the wake of the disappearance of the second ship, the NPA management has reportedly suspended the Director of the Liberia Seaport Police, Col Michael Williams along with his two principal deputies for Administration and Operation Patrick S. Nyumah and Lorenzo E. Gbendeh.

NPA management is said to have also suspended all other security officers who were on duty at the pier on the night of May 22, 2007 when the vessel was stolen.

According to the NPA, they will remain suspended pending outcome of ongoing investigation being conducted by Justice Ministry.

The three suspended Seaport Police Directors have already been replaced with three top officers of the Liberia National Police Forces to steer the ship of the Liberia Seaport Police pending the outcome of the probe.

Repots lately gathered by this paper revealed that security forces have picked up Col. Williams for questioning about his alleged presence on board the vessel on the night before its disappearance.

According to reports, the stolen vessel was chartered by Greene and Steel represented by Mr. Jacob Elimelekh to transship scrap belonging to the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC).

The Managing Director of the National Port Authority, Mr. Joseph Acqui, told this paper that they received communication on May 11 from LEC requesting it (NPA) not to permit M/V AIMI to leave.

The management reportedly heeded to the communication by instructing the Seaport Police leadership to take the necessary step to ensure that the vessel does not leave the port.

"On the night of May 22, 2007, said vessel clandestinely left the port of Monrovia even-though our security officers are supposed to be on duty 24 hours around the clock at the pier where the vessel was berthed," Mr. Acqui said.

He said the news about the disappearance of M/V AIMI is not only disturbing but shows that security of the port under the Michael William leadership has not effective over the past months.

This, he said, poses serious embarrassments to the management. "We refer to our memoranda of April 7 and May 16 2007 informing LSP bosses about the security lapses at the port", the NPA boss said.

The vessel berthed at the Freeport of Monrovia on April 12,2007 at Berth #4 near the NPA's tug boat where there is a huge presence of some UNMIL soldiers.

According to the management, there is information that the Vessel's Captain, Fedorenko Yuriy, an alleged associate of the Red Marine Shipping in Ukraine, might have clandestinely fled with the vessel after offloading LEC materials to avoid paying huge revenues accumulated during the days the vessel spent at the NPA.

Interim Managing Director Mr. Joseph Acqui, I and his Interim Deputy Managing Director for Operations, Mrs. Grace Tee-Kpaan confirmed the stolen incidence yesterday at a press briefing held at the Head offices of the (NPA) on Bushrod Island.

"We've reported the incident to the Justice Minister, Cllr. Johnson-Morris, the Chairman of the cabinet; UNMIL Force Commander, Amb Alan Doss and the Managing Director of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), Mr. Harry Yuan", Mr. Acqui.said

"As UNMIL is responsibility for the overall security of Liberia of which the Freeport of Monrovia is no exception, we find it difficult to comprehend how a detachment of UNMIL security personnel could be in the port to secure its facilities for such an irregular happenings to occur"

Mr. Acqui said the incident reportedly occurred at odd hours when the entire port operations have closed down with UNMIL left with the responsibility to provide security to the port. He called on UNMIL to institute an investigation into the matter to avoid its recurrence.